Chapter 9 - the deal at the marina)
Nobody brought Noah.
Detective Ellis made that decision in less than one second.
Rachel agreed.
Margaret agreed even faster.
Noah remained at the hospital with two officers, a social worker, and Margaret.
Rachel wanted to remain too.
Then Grant called.
Not texted.
Called.
Ellis put the phone on speaker.
Grant's voice sounded almost normal.
"Rachel."
"Where's Vanessa?"
"Safe."
In the background, Vanessa shouted something muffled.
Grant ignored her.
"Bring Noah."
"No."
"Then Vanessa dies."
Rachel looked at Ellis.
He shook his head once.
Rachel continued.
"You don't need Noah."
"I need proof."
"Of what?"
"That you haven't already given police the recorder."
"You think we would hide it with a baby?"
Grant laughed.
"Daniel did."
Rachel froze.
Grant knew exactly where Daniel had hidden it.
"Then you knew about the bag."
"Eventually."
"How?"
"Vanessa."
Rachel closed her eyes.
Of course.
"Where's the recorder now?"
Grant's voice hardened.
"Bring the bag."
"You've seen the bag. It isn't there."
"You expect me to trust you?"
"No."
A pause.
Then Vanessa screamed in the background.
"Rachel, don't come!"
A crash.
Grant cursed.
Rachel shouted, "Vanessa!"
Grant returned.
"One hour."
The line ended.
Ellis immediately began coordinating tactical response.
Rachel sat in a conference room staring at the blue diaper bag.
Police had returned it after processing the exterior because Rachel insisted there might be more hidden compartments.
Now it sat empty on the table.
No recorder.
But Vanessa had panicked when Margaret took it.
Why?
If Vanessa had already removed the recorder, why care about the bag?
Rachel examined it again.
Seams.
Pockets.
Lining.
Nothing.
Then she remembered Daniel's email.
I moved the recorder out of my office because I no longer trust the house.
If I have time tomorrow, I will give it to Michael.
If I don't, look in the one place Vanessa would never throw away while pregnant.
The baby bag.
Rachel whispered, "He didn't say inside the bag."
Ellis looked at her.
"What?"
"He said look in the one place Vanessa would never throw away."
Rachel turned the bag over.
The base was reinforced with a removable plastic insert.
She pulled it out.
Nothing.
Then she looked at the shoulder strap.
The broken one.
Thick.
Padded.
Rachel cut the stitching.
A small memory card dropped onto the table.
Everyone froze.
Ellis picked it up with gloves.
Rachel stared.
"Daniel hid two things."
The recorder and a backup memory card.
Maybe he had copied the files.
A technician inserted it into a secure reader.
Audio files appeared.
Twenty-three recordings.
The final one dated the night Daniel died.
Rachel felt tears rise.
Ellis looked at her.
"You don't need to listen."
"Yes, I do."
They played it.
Daniel's voice.
"If this is recording, good."
Footsteps.
Car garage.
Grant's voice.
"You hired someone to follow me?"
Daniel.
"You stole from me."
Grant.
"It's more complicated."
Daniel.
"You slept with my wife."
Silence.
Then Vanessa.
"Daniel, please."
Rachel closed her eyes.
The recording continued.
Daniel sounded broken.
"Is the baby his?"
Vanessa cried.
"I don't know."
Grant interrupted.
"It doesn't matter."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"It matters to me."
Grant's voice lowered.
"You're going to destroy the company over this."
"You destroyed it."
"Think."
"I'm going to police."
A long pause.
Then Grant said quietly, "You're not making it home tonight if you do that."
Rachel stopped breathing.
Vanessa shouted, "Grant!"
Daniel said nothing for several seconds.
Then he whispered.
"Thank you."
Grant sounded confused.
"For what?"
"For saying it while I'm recording."
Movement.
Shouting.
The file cut.
Ellis looked at Rachel.
"That's enough for a warrant."
Rachel shook her head.
"No."
"Rachel."
"Keep listening."
Next file.
Car interior.
Rain.
Daniel breathing.
Then his voice.
"Something's wrong."
Windshield wipers.
Engine.
Daniel speaking into phone.
"Vanessa, answer."
A beep.
Voicemail.
"Something's wrong with the car. I think Grant did something. Call police."
The recording ended.
Another file began.
Chaos.
Impact.
Then silence.
Rachel covered her mouth.
Minutes passed on the recording.
Rain.
Then a car door opened.
Vanessa's voice.
"Oh God."
Daniel made a faint sound.
Alive.
Rachel stood abruptly.
"No."
On the recording Vanessa sobbed.
"Daniel."
Daniel whispered something impossible to hear.
Then Vanessa said.
"I'm sorry."
Another voice arrived.
Grant.
"Where is it?"
Vanessa.
"He's alive."
Grant.
"Where is the recorder?"
Vanessa.
"We need to call someone."
Grant.
"No."
Daniel tried to speak.
Grant said again.
"Find the recorder."
Rachel could not breathe.
Ellis paused the audio.
Nobody moved.
Daniel had survived the crash.
At least for minutes.
And instead of calling emergency services, Vanessa and Grant searched him for evidence.
Ellis resumed.
Vanessa cried.
"I found it."
Grant.
"Give it to me."
Vanessa.
"No."
Grant.
"Vanessa."
Vanessa.
"No. If I give you this, I'm next."
The recording shifted.
Footsteps.
A door slammed.
Grant shouted.
Then the file ended.
Rachel stared at the screen.
Daniel's death was no longer suspicious.
It was a crime.
Maybe Grant had caused the crash.
Maybe Vanessa had failed to help.
But the recording proved both had known Daniel was alive and chose evidence over rescue.
Ellis's phone rang.
Tactical team.
Grant's boat had left the marina.
Harbor cameras showed it moving into the Chesapeake.
Vanessa was still aboard.
Rachel looked at the clock.
Grant's one-hour deadline had fourteen minutes left.
Ellis began issuing instructions.
Rachel stared at the memory card.
Then she looked at the empty diaper bag.
"We can give him what he wants."
Ellis stopped.
"No."
"Not Noah."
Rachel pointed to the bag.
"He wants the recorder."
"We don't have it."
"We have something better."
The backup.
Evidence Grant did not know existed.
Ellis understood.
"You want to bluff him."
Rachel nodded.
"Tell him the recorder is still hidden in the strap."
"He'll demand proof."
"Play him five seconds of Daniel's voice."
Ellis looked toward the harbor map.
It was dangerous.
But Grant was desperate.
Desperate people made mistakes.
Rachel's phone rang again.
Grant.
She answered.
"We found it."
Silence.
Then Grant whispered.
"Where?"
"In the strap."
His breathing changed.
Rachel continued.
"You were right."
"Bring it."
"I'll bring the bag."
"And Noah."
"No."
"Rachel."
"You kill Vanessa, I destroy the recorder."
Grant became silent.
For the first time, Rachel heard fear.
Real fear.
She pressed.
"You don't need Noah anymore. DNA is already done."
Nothing.
"You are his biological father."
Grant inhaled sharply.
Rachel continued.
"Daniel's shares don't belong to Vanessa. They don't belong to you. And they never will."
Grant's voice became cold.
"You think this is about shares?"
"What is it about?"
"You'll understand when you hear what Daniel said after the crash."
Rachel looked at Ellis.
"We heard it."
Grant went silent.
Rachel whispered.
"We heard everything."
The line disconnected.
Ellis looked toward the officers.
"Move."
Because now Grant knew the truth.
May you like
The evidence was already out.
Which meant he had no reason left to keep Vanessa alive.
